In an industry increasingly under pressure from global trends and the demands of international streaming platforms, Takeshi Natsuno, , CEO and President of Kadokawa, has launched a message about Japanese content: the content must be focused on the local public, without thinking that it can be sold abroad.
Japan First: Kadokawa CEO points out that Japan’s content should not seek foreign approval
In an interview conducted by the Japanese portal Nikkei to Takeshi Natsuno, spoke about the content that is created in Japan and its way of seeing the industry: “If you create content that is sold in Japan, it will be sold abroad. You can create unique works without promoting yourself with the mentality of Let’s make a manga that sells globally. It is necessary to create a wide variety of intellectual property without compromising quality.
Natsuno He maintains that the authenticity of works such as manga and anime is what really attracts the rest of the world. According to his vision, trying to “design” a work to be successful globally only weakens his identity.
Other industry figures who think the same as the CEO of Kadokawa
This way of seeing the situation is not isolated and that is that in recent days we have seen how other figures have talked about the productions of Japan, having a “purist” position on the subject:
- Hideaki Anno (creator of Evangelion) affirmed that it is the foreign public who must adapt to the culture and narrative of Japanese works, not the other way around.
- Tomohiko Ito (Director of Sword Art Online) pointed out that going crazy with global appeal is a recipe for failure, given that Japanese tastes usually differ from foreign opinion.
These statements of Natsuno mark a very different perspective than the one expressed by Daijo Kudo In August 2025. Back then, Kudo He commented that the company “needed to produce anime with themes that seek to please the foreign public.” This clash of visions reflects the internal debate in the industry: while some producers seek a balance by incorporating the tastes of the foreign public, others advocate to maintain the purity of Japan’s narrative.
For those who want to know more about the subject, the full interview is available on the portal Nikkei. In the note released by Nikkei, , Natsuno It also analyzes critical operational challenges, such as the need to reduce return rates in bookstores and the pillars of the new global strategy. Kadokawa.
